Victor EzejaONE of the lawyers to the embattled leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, said he was treated like a common criminal and humiliated by the officers of Department of State Services (DSS), when he visted Kanu in the agency’s custody, Abuja.
In a telephone chat with Prime Business Africa on Monday evening, Barr Maxwell Opara, said the encounter with DSS has made him suffer mental trauma since the incident, hence his decision to file a suit against DSS over violation of his fundamental human right.
He said, “I went to see Kanu because he is my client. I was stripped when I went there, they removed my belt, they removed my medicated eye glass, they removed my wedding ring, removed my jacket, removed my shoes, removed my stockings. I was with barefoot, holding my trouser, because when they removed belt, my trouser pulled down making me to hold it on my waist, I was made to walk barefooted in the premises.
They made caricature of me, and assaulted me.”
“I told them I cannot stay without my eye glass but they refused to let me have it.
“I have not seen such kind of treatment on a lawyer who wants to see his client.
“They collected even my writing materials. For the writing materials, I told them I want to get information from my client and they said, ‘no, don’t try that.’
“Even in the Prison, when you go to see your client, even if you don’t have writing material they will provide you with one. I couldn’t put down anything, because I had no writing material.”
He said, “If they (DSS) should treat his lawyers like this how much more of him.
“My client was demoralized, because of the mental torture. I considered what they did as a calculated attempt to violate my right and I would fight it.”
Opara had on Monday September 6, 2021 filed a fundamental human right enforcement suit against the Director-General of DSS, demanding N50 million as compensation for the infringement on his fundamental right to dignity.
He alleged that on August. 30, he was subjected to various degrading treatments when he visited Kanu in DSS custody.
He also cited DSS as the second respondent and prayed the court to grant an order declaring that the respondents be restrained from interfering with his right to dignity and freedom of movement and from any form of harassment or intimidation by the respondents.
He explained that the actions of DSS against him amounted to violation of his right to dignity as a human being as provided for in section 34 of the Nigerian constitution 1999 and Article 5 of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.
On the date for commencement of hearing of the case, Opara told Prime Business Africa that there is no date yet, but that he informed the court on the need for the matter to be tried expeditiously, and was promised to be given a date very soon.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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